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Liam Neeson’s 2008 action-thriller Taken is now streaming on Hulu, having been added to the platform this August. The movie, directed by Pierre Morel and written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, stars Neeson as Bryan Mills, a former CIA agent who must rescue his kidnapped teenage daughter and her friend from human traffickers in France.

Taken was first released in France on February 27, 2008. While critics gave it mixed reviews, the film was a big hit with audiences, earning $226 million worldwide on a $25 million budget. Many media outlets have said Taken marked a major turning point in Neeson’s career, helping him become known as an action star. The film also launched a franchise, including two sequels and a television series.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Taken holds a 60% rating from 178 reviews, with an average score of 5.8 out of 10. The site’s summary reads, “Taken is undeniably fun with slick action,...

Liam Neeson’s 2008 action-thriller Taken is now available to stream on Hulu, having been added to the platform’s library this August. The film, directed by Pierre Morel and written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, helped redefine Neeson as a major action star.

In Taken, Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a former CIA agent whose teenage daughter Kim and her friend Amanda are kidnapped by human traffickers while on vacation in France. Determined to rescue them, Bryan uses all his skills to track down the kidnappers and save the girls.

The movie also stars Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky, Katie Cassidy, Holly Valance, and Famke Janssen.

The film first hit theaters in France on February 27, 2008. Though it received mixed reviews from critics, it became a big financial success, making $226 million worldwide on a budget of just $25 million.

Many media outlets have said Taken was a turning...

A former special forces operative is handed a second chance to get back in action when a journalist hires him to be her bodyguard during an interview with a volatile dictator. When they all finally meet in the fictional Paldonia, a military coup derails the scoop of a lifetime and the two must find a way to survive mercenaries, the jungle, and each other. The action comedy film Freelance stars John Cena, Alison Brie, and Juan Pablo Raba. It’s directed by Pierre Morel (Taken).

Stream it on Netflix.

A journalist, a bodyguard, and a dictator walk into a jungle … and chaos ensues. Claire Wellington (Brie) desperately needs the scoop of a lifetime to get her scandal-ridden career back on track. Paldonia’s unpredictable president, Venegas (Raba) — who hasn’t given an interview in decades — wants to use Claire’s massive platform to reclaim Paldonia from foreign corporate greed. And...

"Schindler's List," "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," "Taken," and "Batman Begins" are really just the tip of the iceberg in the fruitful and long acting career Liam Neeson has had so far. Easily one of the best of his generation, the Northern Ireland-born actor's prowess and versatility are nothing short of astonishing. Few things demonstrate that better than the fact that at 73, Neeson is now starring in 2025's "The Naked Gun" as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen's immortal buffoonish detective in the spoof comedy franchise. Ever since his career began in the late 1970s, Neeson has portrayed controversial and unforgettable historical figures, superheroes, mentors, worrying fathers, and even skilled killing machines among a vast array of other characters in over 100 features.

As unlikely as it sounds, Neeson became an action star at the age of 56 with 2008's "Taken" (courtesy of director Pierre Morel...

John Cena might have lost his title to Cody Rhodes at WWE SummerSlam 2025, but he can celebrate knowing that one of his most critically panned movies is enjoying a new lease of life on Netflix. Indeed, according to FlixPatrol, Pierre Morel's "Freelance" claimed the third spot on the streaming service's top 10 chart in the U.S. on August 3, 2025. That should also alleviate some of the disappointment caused by the fact the Cena-led action-comedy, which co-starred Alison Brie, tanked at the box office back in 2023.

"Freelance" casts Cena as Mason Pettits, an ex-soldier who accepts an assignment to protect journalist Claire Wellington (Brie) as she sets out to interview a South American dictator. As luck would have it, though, their visit coincides with a conflict breaking out, and they must fight for their lives to survive the rumble in the jungle.

Despite boasting a fun premise, "Freelance" earned mostly negative views from critics,...

Watch The Naked Gun Films Online: Liam Neeson’s Reboot Sparks Nostalgia For Leslie Nielsen’s Cult (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson has delivered several memorable performances in acclaimed films like Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, Neil Jordan’s biographical drama, Bill Condon’s Kinsey, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, and Pierre Morel’s hit actioner Taken, among others. Now, he’s gearing up for a new and different kind of role in the action-comedy film The Naked Gun, which is set to hit theatres on August 1, 2025, including in India.

There’s nowhere to hide from the law… or a Coldplay kiss cam #NakedGun pic.twitter.com/auphADk5mj

— Naked Gun Movie (@NakedGunMovie) July 19, 2025

In the upcoming Naked Gun follow-up, Liam Neeson stars as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic character, who now leads the Police Squad in a mission to save the world.

John Cena will next be seen reprising his role as Christopher Smith in Peacemaker Season 2, but shortly after he first played the DC hero, he starred in an action thriller that just got an exciting streaming update. Cena stars alongside Alison Brie in Freelance, the 2023 action comedy following an ex-special forces operative who takes a security job for a journalist to interview a dictator, but things go sideways fast when a coup breaks out. Freelance is currently streaming on Hulu, but Netflix has confirmed that it will begin streaming on the platform on August 2. Critics were particularly harsh on Freelance, rating it 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, but fans gave the film a 78% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter. However, it grossed only $10 million against a $40 million budget, making it a major flop.

Jacob Lentz wrote the script for Freelance, and Pierre Morel directed the film. Lentz is best known for his work as...

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Heads of State is an action comedy film directed by Ilya Naishuller from a screenplay co-written by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and Harrison Query. The Prime Video film follows the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who don’t particularly like each other, but when they get caught up in a global conspiracy and are attacked by terrorists, they must work together to survive. Heads of State stars John Cena, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra, Jack Quaid, Carla Gugino, Stephen Root, and Paddy Considine. So, if you loved the hilarious comedy, explosive action, and entertaining characters in Heads of State, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Big Game (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Entertainment One

Big Game is an action-adventure film directed by Jalmari Helander, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Petri Jokiranta.

UK-based producer-financier Anton has responded to a legal suit brought against it and producer John Zois by Kate Beckinsale in which the actor alleges the set of 2024 action film Canary Blackwas unsafe and dangerous and resulted in her sustaining “severe and debilitating injuries”.

AnAnton spokesperson told Screen: “We follow strict safety standards on all our productions. We are reviewing these allegations, which we believe are meritless.”

Directed by Pierre Morel and starring Beckinsale as a CIA operative blackmailed by terrorists,Canary Blackfilmed on location in Croatia in late 2022 and early 2023. It was released last year by Amazon MGM Studios.

According to the filing,...

A Still Of Liam Neeson In Absolution (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Throughout his acting career, Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson has delivered many memorable performances in acclaimed films like Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, Neil Jordan’s biographical drama, Bill Condon’s Kinsey, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, and Pierre Morel’s hit actioner Taken, among others. Recently, one of his action films has bagged the top spot on Hulu’s top ten movies list (as per FlixPatrol). Read on to find that movie’s name, what it’s about, and where to stream it in India.

No.1 Movie On Hulu Top 10 Starring Liam Neeson

The Liam Neeson film currently holding the top spot on Hulu’s top ten movies list is Absolution, which was released in theaters on November 1, 2024. Interestingly, it has even outranked the critically acclaimed animated sci-fi anthology Predator: Killer of Killers, which holds Rank 2 on the list.

Since exploding onto screens way back in 2008, Liam Neeson’s Taken has had a lasting impact on the world of action movies. And that impact continues, with an all-new action thriller taking some cues from director Pierre Morel and writers Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen’s tale of a former CIA agent on a mission to rescue his kidnapped daughter. A tale that transformed Neeson into the quintessential aged action hero.

Now, the upcoming action thriller On the Hunt will put a female-led spin on proceedings, with Australian actress Nicky Whelan(The Flood) following in Bryan Mills’ footsteps as an ex-special forces operative who brings her particular set of skills out of retirement after her daughter is abducted by human traffickers. You'd think that these capable action heroes would be able to keep a better eye on their kids...

But thankfully for us, they don’t, as it allows...

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Exterritorial is a German action thriller film written and directed by Christian Zübert. The 2025 film follows Sara Wulf, a former Special Forces soldier visiting the US consulate with her son. When Sara’s son suddenly vanishes, she illegally stays on the premises to find her son, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy. Exterritorial stars Jeanne Goursaud, Dougray Scott, Lera Abova, Kayode Akinyemi, and Lara Babalola. So, if you loved the brutal action, thrilling drama, and compelling characters in Exterritorial, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Extraction (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Extraction is an action thriller film directed by Sam Hargrave from a screenplay by Joe Russo. Based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, and Anthony Russo, the 2020 film follows Tyler Rake, an Australian mercenary who is hired to...

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A Working Man is an action thriller film directed by David Ayer, who also co-wrote the film with Sylvester Stallone. Based on the 2014 novel Levon’s Trade by Chuck Dixon, the 2025 film follows Levon Cade, an ex-Royal Marine Commando working as a construction worker for his friend, Joe Garcia. When Joe’s teenage daughter is kidnapped by criminals, Levon takes it upon himself to rescue her, but ends up finding a dark web of corruption and crime. A Working Man stars Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng, David Harbour, Michael Peña, Merab Ninidze, Cokey Falkow, and Maximilian Osinski. So, if you loved the thrilling action, cheesy drama, and entertaining characters in A Working Man, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Beekeeper (Prime Video & MGM+) Credit – Amazon MGM Studios

The Beekeeper is an action thriller film directed...

Upon first glance, A Working Man appears to be cut from the same cloth that bore 2008’s Taken. But, whereas Pierre Morel’s film was more of a cathartic release for a parent wronged by kidnappers, A Working Man finds its heart in the soul of a man who is simply trying to protect the family that was there for him when no one else was.

The film begins with a brief introduction to the character of Levon Cade (Jason Statham) as he is seen working on a construction site as a foreman of sorts. His previous career within military black ops is hinted at during the opening credit montage and then suggested at further when a co-worker of his is accosted by gang members attempting to collect a debt and Cade thwarts their attempt. However, when the daughter of Cade’s boss (Michael Peña) is kidnapped to be sold into slavery,...

Pierre Morel's "Taken" is far from an action classic, but the hook of sex traffickers inadvertently kidnapping the daughter of a ludicrously lethal CIA agent worked well enough to make the film a decent afternoon time-waster, particularly with an actor of Liam Neeson's caliber cast as the pissed-off papa bear. Moviegoers turned out in big numbers and got precisely what they paid to see (judging from the film's A- Cinemascore), so 20th Century Fox ordered up a sequel figuring undemanding action junkies wouldn't mind if Neeson's daughter got kidnapped again. They figured correctly (though this time his ex-wife was kidnapped), and scored an even bigger success. So they went back to the well a third time, and made roughly the same amount of dough without breaking the bank with the budget.

There was no "Taken 4" (if you don't count the one featuring Jimmy Kimmel), which flies in the...

When the trailer for "Taken" first started making the rounds in 2008, no one thought it was terribly out of character for Liam Neeson to star in a straight-ahead action flick. With films like "Darkman," "Rob Roy" and "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" on his resume, the 1993 Best Actor nominee for "Schindler's List" certainly seemed comfortable making genre movies. The surprise was the five years that led up to it. After failing to snag a well-deserved second Best Actor nomination for "Kinsey" in 2004, he segued to supporting parts in "Kingdom of Heaven," "Batman Begins" and "Breakfast on Pluto," which suggested he was either getting passed over for lead roles, didn't fit the star type for whatever was being offered, or entering the character actor phase of his career.

After the moody Western "Seraphim Falls" failed to catch on with moviegoers (despite the intriguing pairing of Neeson and Pierce Brosnan), next up was "Taken.

Underworld star Kate Beckinsale and Mortal Kombat’sLewis Tan will join forces for a new “under-the-radar" action thriller from director James Nunn, the filmmaker behind the Scott Adkins action outings One Shot and One More Shot. Yes, it is pretty much everything you could hope for as an action movie fan. You're welcome. Titled Lioness, production is now underway in the United Kingdom, and the first details have now been revealed.

According to a report by Deadline, Capstone will finance the action movie, which will follow “an ex-black ops team who reunite to pull off a desperate heist to save the life of their leader’s (Beckinsale) eight-year-old daughter.” Which, frankly, sounds like the kind of pitch perfect, no-nonsense plot that action dreams are often made of.

Alongside Kate Beckinsale and Lewis Tan, the rest of the cast includes Rasmus Hardiker, Alice Krige, Bailey Patrick, Tom Bennett, Matt Willis, and Roxy Striar.

Action movie fans are in for a treat this month, as one of the most underrated examples of the genre (and one helmed by Taken director Pierre Morel no less) is all set to land on free streaming. Released more than two decades ago in 2004, District B13 boasts all manner of martial arts, shoot-outs, explosions, breathtaking parkour, and even social commentary as it drops audiences in the far-flung future of, erm, 2010 and one of the poor, crime-ridden suburbs of Paris: Banlieue 13, Aka B13.

Helmed by the creative team behind Liam Neeson’s action movie renaissance hit Taken, director Pierre Morel, and writer and producer Luc Besson, District B13 stars David Belle as main character Leïto, a rebel who lives within the confines of B13, with underrated martial arts actor Cyril Raffaelli as Damien Tomaso, an undercover officer who joins forces with Leïto after the pair are targeted by a merciless gangster,...

A divisive action thriller from the director behind aged action hero magnum opus Taken and led by an MCU star is all set to hit free streaming from next month. Released back in 2018, the revenge outing Peppermint saw a huge divide between critics and audiences in their response to this tale, which finds Daredevil and Deadpool & Wolverine’sJennifer Garner as a woman embarking on a violent vendetta of vengeance after her family is killed by a drug cartel.

Directed by Pierre Morel, who oh so successfully helped launch Liam Neeson as Hollywood’s go-to aged action hero in Taken, and written by Chad St. John of London Has Fallen fame, Peppermint stars John Ortiz, John Gallagher Jr., Juan Pablo Raba, and Tyson Ritter alongside Jennifer Garner. Peppermint is due to land on the free streaming platform Tubi on March 1, 2025, and you can check out the official synopsis below.

RelatedTaken Director...

Widely recognized for her roles in movies like 13 Going On 30 and Catch Me If You Can, Jennifer Garner has a diverse filmography filled with critically acclaimed hits. She has also appeared in several lesser-known films, such as Peppermint (2018).

Tubi has revealed the dozens of iconic titles hitting the free streaming service on March 1. Jennifer Garner’s R-rated action thriller Peppermint is included in the upcoming release, along with Legally Blonde, Spaceballs, and Real Steel. Peppermint and over 100 other new additions will arrive on Tubi next week.

RelatedHugh Jackman's $300 Million Robot Fighting Masterpiece Is Streaming for Free in March

Hugh Jackman first teamed up with Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy on this robot fighting movie.

Peppermint (2018)

IMDb Rating

Rotten Tomatoes Score

Popcornmeter

6.5

13%

70%

Garner’s Acting Shines in Peppermint

Peppermint centers around Garner's Riley North, a loving mother and wife who wakes up from a coma after surviving a drive-by...

In the mid-2000s, you could be forgiven for thinking action films had gotten a little stale. The genre tends to go in waves; whenever something hits in a big way, you get derivative, increasingly stale copies. Think about all the Die Hard rip-offs or the way every movie tried to copy The Matrix with bullet time and wire-work post-1999. Heck, we’re experiencing it right now with superhero movies and John Wick clones. Whenever this happens, it’s more-or-less left to international cinema to come along and shake us up with something different, done far outside the mainstream, to revitalize the genre. That happened in 2004, when a small movie from France, District 13, introduced Parkour to mainstream audiences.

So, what’s Parkour? Think of it as free running in an urban setting mixed with acrobatics and martial arts. It was founded by the star of District 13, David Belle, a Parisian...

The ending of Fox's "Bones" wasn't quite as dark as fans might have expected. However, its heroes' respective paths to a happy ending aren't what you'd call easy. Just ask John Boyd's James Aubrey, a young FBI agent who joins the main ensemble in season 10 and eventually establishes himself as Seeley Booth's (David Boreanaz) partner. 

Over the course of his three seasons on the show, Aubrey starts out as a concerned and sometimes mistrusted semi-outsider who mostly gets a pass because Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley) vouches for him. He then rises to his own after Sweets' untimely death and becomes a key member of the team for the remainder of the series. During this time, Aubrey receives grievous injuries, deals with serious family troubles, and even ends his high-profile relationship with Jessica Warren (Laura Spencer) just as the show draws to a close -- although, true to the...

Schwarzenegger. Stallone. Van Damme. Gibson. Snipes. Ford. When you make a list of the most popular action heroes of all time, there’s another name that needs to be added to that list – Liam Neeson. Over the last sixteen years, he’s headlined a neverending series of action thrillers that have propelled him to a much higher echelon of fame than he’d ever been on before, with him only ever becoming an action star once he was fifty-six. Ultimately, it was all due to a low-budget, European-financed action flick, which came very close to going direct-to-video and reached theatres in Europe a full year before it opened in North America. That movie is Taken, and we’re going to tell you how it revitalized the career of a man who – at the time – was generally considered a top-tier character actor with limited box office appeal. That’s right – it...

Hollywood icon and Pulp Fiction star John Travolta joins forces with Mission: Impossible star Jonathan Rhys Meyers and the director and writer behind the Liam Neeson action movie hit Taken, Pierre Morel and Luc Besson, respectively, for the action thriller From Paris with Love, which is all set to land on free streaming. This tale of a CIA rookie who’s partnered with a gun-toting veteran spy may have been largely panned upon release, but is worth a second look when it streams for free in 2025.

Helmed by Pierre Morel, written by Adi Hasak, and based on a story by Luc Besson, From Paris with Love reached just 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences a little more enamored at 54%. “Though not without its charms -- chief among them John Travolta's endearingly over-the-top performance -- From Paris with Love is too muddled and disjointed to satisfy,” the critics’ consensus reads. You can...

The career of Liam Neeson is a testament to his ability to evolve and surprise audiences. Known for fan-favorite titles like Love Actually and Taken, the Irish actor got his start in theater and minor dramas before breaking into Hollywood. Early on, his intensity and physical presence hinted at action-hero potential — signs that Neeson was destined to become an action star long before Taken made it undeniable. The role of Bryan Mills, a skilled former operative with an intense resume, turned him into an unexpected daredevil at an age when many actors slow down.

Beyond action, Neeson has appeared in some of the highest-grossing movies of all time. The star’s towering presence and deep voice add gravitas to every film, whether he’s commanding the screen in heartfelt dramas or dominating the action genre. It’s this unique blend that keeps audiences coming back for more Liam Neeson, whether...

Prime Video has been tossing up a healthy mix of streaming "content" of late, and has been seeing success with its diverse slate. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley's murder mystery "Killer Heat" dominated Prime Video in October of 2024, which followed the success of the Awkwafina and John Cena comedy "Jackpot!" in August. Now, it's time for the new action thriller "Canary Black" to have a turn.

The movie comes from French filmmaker and "Taken" director Pierre Morel, who has much to answer for simply by virtue of the fact he launched Liam Neeson into his seemingly never-ending grizzled hard-man era (an age that has also produced some of Neeson's worst movies). Now, Morel has turned his sights on poor old Kate Beckinsale, who fronts "Canary Black" as CIA agent Avery Graves. The film finds Graves being blackmailed by terrorists who want her to retrieve the titular file in order...

New story details surrounding an upcoming action movie suggest that Milla Jovovich might be the perfect replacement for Liam Neeson's Taken character. When director Pierre Morel's Taken first hit the big screens in 2008, it received mixed reviews from critics. While some appreciated how it offered escapist fantasy to male audiences across the globe, others could not help but overlook how it seemed derivative of many similar films from the past.

Despite being divisive, however, Taken performed incredibly well at the box office by earning $226 million against a budget of $25 million. The film played a crucial role in turning Liam Neeson into an action star. Its success even spawned multiple sequels, allowing Neeson to have a full-fledged action franchise under his belt. A decade after Liam Neeson last played Bryan Mills in Taken 3, it is hard to imagine anyone else portraying the character. However, after all these years,...

Kate Beckinsale's 2024 spy movie is a streaming success despite its 30% Rotten Tomatoes audience score. The English actress made her feature film debut in 1993 with a brief role in Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing and, during the remainder of the 1990s, continued to star in British costume dramas such as Prince of Jutland, Cold Comfort Farm, Emma, and The Golden Bowl. During the early 2000s, Beckinsale starred in films from a variety of genres, including Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor, the romantic comedy Serendipity, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, and Click.

However, since taking on the role of Selene in the Underworld franchise from 2003 to 2016, Kate Beckinsale has become best known for action movies, also including Van Helsing, Whiteout, Contraband, Total Recall, and Jolt. She's also received some critical acclaim for her performances in smaller dramas such as Snow Angels, Nothing but the Truth, Everybody's Fine, Love & Friendship,...

Canary Black, starring Kate Beckinsale, delivers high-stakes action, intense espionage, and the thrill of watching a rogue operative outsmart her enemies against impossible odds. Directed by Pierre Morel, who also helmed Taken, this film introduces audiences to Avery Graves, a CIA agent forced to go underground after her husband is kidnapped by a group demanding sensitive intelligence. Unaware of her true identity as a spy, her husband’s kidnapping pulls Avery into a treacherous chase across Europe as she tries to retrieve the classified “Canary Black” file to save him. With relentless chases and plenty of stylish flair, Canary Black might have been something you wanted to see but did not get enough of because of the restriction that streaming brings with it. So, in the following list, I will not down 5 other movies that you might like if you thought Canary Black was interesting.

1. Salt (2010)

In Salt, Angelina Jolie stars as Evelyn Salt,...

Prime Video's Canary Black stars Kate Beckinsale as Avery Graves, a CIA agent who must use all her skill to rescue her husband from the clutches of a terrorist organization before they unleash the Canary Black virus on the world. The movie, directed by Pierre Morel, who also directed the Liam Neeson vehicle Taken, is an action thriller that has a fairly predictable plot. Still, with Beckinsale's committed performance and Ray Stevenson in one of his last roles as Avery's mentor and CIA Director Jarvis Hedlund, it's still worth catching.

But what exactly happens to Avery's husband? And did the Canary Black virus get sent out around the world? Let's take a look!

What Happens in Canary Black?

Canary Black (2024) R

Release Date October 24, 2024Director Pierre MorelCast Kate Beckinsale, Rupert Friend, Saffron Burrows, Ben Miles, Goran Kostic, Jaz Hutchins, Ana Cilas, Emma Gojkovi, Igor Peenjev, Andrei Lenart, Romina Tonkovi,...

Kate Beckinsale proudly showed off the injuries she sustained from doing stunt work for her action-thriller “Canary Black” after a film review suggested she was only involved in the close-up shots.

“Kicking impeccably chic ass and a couple of close ups doesn’t half hurt lol,” the actress wrote in a Saturday Instagram post. Beckinsale’s caption mocked the headline of the critic’s article at The Guardian: “Canary Black review – Kate Beckinsale kicks impeccably chic ass in gender-flipped Taken.”

TheWrap also reviewed the movie, here. Beckinsale stars in the Pierre Morel-directed film as a CIA operative named Avery Graves, who must use her skills to solve a rather cookie-cutter kidnapping.

The actress also posted an excerpt in which the reviewer wrote: “Stunt doubles probably did the heavy lifting in the blurrily edited hand-to-hand combat scenes and sequences where Graves flies through the air holding on to a massive drone,...

Plot: A top CIA operative, Avery Graves, is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to help locate the coveted intelligence that the kidnappers want. As she is betrayed at every turn, Avery finds herself in a deadly race to deliver a ransom that could trigger a global crisis.

Review: Thirty years ago, mediocre action movies were populated with mid-level or over-the-hill action stars and had their release relegated to video stores. These same movies were commonly found at your local Redbox a decade ago. Today, the glut of streaming services constantly needs new fodder to entice audiences to choose them over the competition, which means projects that otherwise would not be able to land top talent are now showcases for movie stars slumming it for a paycheck. Canary Black boasts a director...

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Canary Black is a spy action thriller film directed by Pierre Morel from a screenplay by Matthew Kennedy. The Prime Video film follows Avery Graves, an exceptional CIA agent whose husband is kidnapped by terrorists to blackmail her into stealing sensitive information that would betray her country. Canary Black stars Kate Beckinsale in the lead role with Rupert Friend, Ray Stevenson, Saffron Burrows, Ben Miles, and Michael Brandon starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the explosive action, thrilling story, and compelling characters in Canary Black here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Salt (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Columbia Pictures

Salt is a spy action thriller film directed by Phillip Noyce from a screenplay by Kurt Wimmer. The 2010 film follows Evelyn Salt, an exceptional CIA agent who is wrongfully accused of killing the Russian president.

Warning: Major spoilers for Canary Black below!Canary Black delivers a major twist involving mystery assassin Kali during the third act - but this comes far too late. Canary Black cast Kate Beckinsale as CIA agent Avery who is forced to go rogue to save her kidnapped husband, David (Rupert Friend). The film is the latest thriller from director Pierre Morel, who specializes in action thrillers like Taken or The Gunman that take famed dramatic actors like Sean Penn or Liam Neeson and have them punching and shooting their way out of trouble.

Of course, with her years of experience battling vampires and werewolves in the Underworld saga, Beckinsale is no stranger to action. She also proves to be the Canary Black's highlight, making up for the story's leaps in logic or falling back on genre clich. Canary Black's ending makes the movie's franchise intentions very clear, with Avery having...

Unaware he’s married to a spy, Beckinsale’s husband is kidnapped – cue the baddies demanding a secret file, fancy action sequences, lots of gunshots and a nice trenchcoat

French director Pierre Morel oversaw the making of the first Taken film, the action thriller wherein former CIA-agent Liam Neeson pursues bad guys who kidnap his teenage daughter, and later abduct both the hero and his wife in subsequent sequels. So clearly someone thought there was no one better than Morel to direct what is effectively a remake of Taken, this time a story in which a female spy with a very particular set of skills must rescue her kidnapped husband, who knows nothing of her espionage career. The result is blandly generic with the gender flip not bringing much to the table apart from some cheerable lines where the heroine upbraids her opponents for using the slur “bitch” in the workplace.

The director behind the action movie smash hit Taken, Pierre Morel, returns with another action-packed thriller, Canary Black, which is now available to stream on Prime Video. After so successfully transforming acclaimed actor Liam Neeson into the go-to aged action hero, Morel now joins forces with Underworld star Kate Beckinsale for another tale of a highly trained operative on a dangerous solo mission.

You can check out the official synopsis for Canary Black below, which possesses all the necessary ingredients for a no-nonsense action thriller.

A top CIA operative, Avery Graves, is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to survive and help locate the coveted intelligence that the kidnappers want. Betrayed at every turn, she must rely on her cutting-edge training and primitive fighting skills in a deadly race to deliver a...

Pressing play on an action movie like “Canary Black” is like ordering at McDonald’s. You’ve already agreed to lower your standards, so you don’t get to complain that it’s ultra-processed junk food. That’s what you signed up for. You were in the mood for middle-of-the-road comfort sustenance and that’s all you have any right to expect.

But we’ve all been to a fast food joint where, yes, you technically got what you paid for, but it was so greasy you could barely eat it. Or it got squashed for no discernible reason. Or it’s got a hair in it. Sure, you ordered off the dollar menu but even the dollar menu makes a few meager promises, and if they can’t even get that right… well, you have “Canary Black.”

“Canary Black” is a new kidnapping thriller from Pierre Morel, who 15 years ago directed “Taken.

Pierre Morel’s action thriller film, Canary Black, delivers a good dose of action but not enough to make up for the run-of-the-mill storyline. CIA agent Avery Graves found herself in trouble when she received a call informing her that her husband had been kidnapped. David did not know that Graves was a CIA agent. The couple were deeply in love, and Avery was ready to go to any length to bring her husband home. The kidnapper instructed Graves to find the ‘Canary Black’ file and hand it to him. She searched for the file in the system but could not find it there. The kidnapper asked her to dig deep, and Avery had little choice. She did not expect the agency to understand that she was still loyal to them and had every intention of retrieving the file as soon as David was returned. Avery was soon declared a...

“Canary Black” is a movie starring Kate Beckinsale with Rupert Friend, Ben Miles, and Ray Stevenson. It is directed by Pierre Morel.

Kate Beckinsale returns to her favored genre, the action thriller, playing her specialty role as a lone heroine. Audiences are well-acquainted with her performances in similar roles, and in this film, which feels like a reiteration of many others, she delivers precisely what viewers anticipate: action-packed sequences, high-speed chases, and an internationally intriguing yet entirely formulaic espionage narrative. The film adheres strictly to the conventions of the genre, meeting all expectations except for one: the element of surprise.

Plot Summary

CIA agent Avery Graves faces a dire predicament: her husband has been kidnapped, and his captors demand a file named “Canary Black” for his release. Branded a target by her own agency, the CIA, she must operate solo to clear her name from allegations of treason while also striving to rescue her husband.

What to Watch This Weekend: October 25th to 27th (Photo Credit – Instagram)

This weekend, we’ve chosen just two movies hitting the big screen, but don’t worry—there are plenty of options to stream at home! Over on Prime Video, you can catch a crime investigation about a serial killer, a spy thriller, and a touching story about life’s ups and downs. Netflix is bringing you five new picks, starting with a horror flick, a murder mystery, a soap opera, a film focused on some real talk, and an Australian series about a family power struggle. Plus, there are additional titles on Jio Cinema, Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, and Apple TV. So, scroll down for all the titles, watch the trailers, and check out the overviews. It’ll make things much easier for you.

On The Big Screen

Venom: The Last Dance (English)

Written and directed by Kelly Marcel,...

Pierre Morel’s Canary Black stars Kate Beckinsale as CIA agent Avery Graves, whose life is turned upside down when her husband David is kidnapped. Forced to choose between country and loved ones, Avery embarks on a perilous mission to retrieve classified intelligence and save her spouse.

At the helm is French director Pierre Morel, known for pulse-pounding action flicks like Taken. Canary Black releases on Amazon Prime later this fall, and there’s potential for edge-of-your-seat thrills.

Yet Avery’s assignment may turn out more complicated than expected. Between betraying colleagues and eluding capture, she’ll face deception at every turn. Who can she trust as the line blurs between allies and foes? And how high will the stakes climb with a shadowy virus called “Canary Black” in the mix? Viewers will just have to hit play to see if Avery can keep her wits amid the danger and turmoil closing in around her.

Apart from walking through several action set pieces and a thrilling drama, Canary Black also features memorable character beats driven by the compelling performances of its cast members. Directed by Pierre Morel, Canary Black is another addition to Amazon Prime Video's roster of action movies. Although its title might suggest it has something to do with DC Comics' Black Canary, the film follows an original story that focuses on a CIA agent on the run.

Canary Black's filming primarily took place in Zagreb, Croatia, and even the scenes that portray Tokyo in the movie's storyline were shot in the Croatian city of Rovinj. When it comes to the movie's cast, it features both familiar and new faces as its leads. Since many viewers may be curious about who plays whom in Canary Black's story after watching it on Prime Video, it is worth breaking down the key characters and the talented actors behind them.

Prime Video has launched the first official trailer for Kate Beckinsale's next kickass actioner Canary Black, which will see the former Underworld star play a top CIA operative that is forced to go rogue to save her kidnapped husband while simultanously working to prevent the start of World War 3.

The full synopsis reads, "A top CIA operative, Avery Graves, is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to survive and help locate the coveted intelligence that the kidnappers want. Betrayed at every turn, she must rely on her cutting-edge training and primitive fighting skills in a deadly race to deliver a ransom that could trigger a global crisis."

This will mark the second action film Beckinsale has launched on Prime Video in recent years, following 2021's Jolt. Her series The Widow was also launched on the streamer,...

Pierre Morel, the director behind the huge action movie hit Taken which transformed Oscar nominee Liam Neeson into a bona fide action hero, returns to the genre with the new trailer for the Amazon Prime Video action thriller Canary Black (2024). If the Taken filmmakers involvement is not enough to excite you, then perhaps the fact that the movie stars Underworld star Kate Beckinsale, Hitman: Agent 47 star Rupert Friend, and the late, great Punisher: War Zone star Ray Stevenson will achieve the desired effect.

You can check out the newly released trailer for Canary Black below.

Directed by Pierre Morel and written by Matthew Kennedy, Canary Black sounds like the perfect no-nonsense action spy thriller, with Kate Beckinsale leading the movie as a CIA agent on the run. Beckinsale, Rupert Friend, and Ray Stevenson are joined by the likes of Saffron Burrows (The Bank Job), Ben Miles (Andor), Goran Kosti...

“Canary Black”, directed by Pierre Morel, is a new action ‘spy’ thriller, starring Kate Beckinsale (“Underworld”), Rupert Friend, Ray Stevenson (“The Punisher”) and Saffron Burrows, streaming October 24, 2024 on Amazon Prime Video:

“…’Avery Graves’ is a ‘CIA’ agent whose husband has been kidnapped by terrorists. The kidnappers blackmail Graves for information that would betray her country…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Canary Black, a spy action thriller from Taken director Pierre Morel that stars Kate Beckinsale of the Underworld franchise, began filming in late 2022 and wrapped production in January of 2023. Now the movie is finally ready to make its way out into the world, as it’s scheduled to reach Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service on October 24th – and with that date exactly one month away, a trailer for Canary Black has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Scripted by Matthew Kennedy, who previously wrote the Lily Collins / Simon Pegg thriller Inheritance, Canary Black has the following synopsis: A top CIA operative, Avery Graves, is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to survive and help locate the coveted intelligence that the kidnappers want. Betrayed at every turn,...

In his previous collaboration with Romain Duris, “Our Struggles” director Guillaume Senez cast the Parisian star as a workaholic forced to spend a lot more time with his kids when their mother abruptly left home one day. Six years on, the pair have reunited to tell the opposite story of a father doing everything in his power to reunite with his daughter who’s been snatched away in another country.

If that conjures up memories of Liam Neeson growling into a phone, have no fear. The handiwork of “fellow French director, “Taken” director Pierre Morel is nowhere to be found. Instead, Senez takes a far more naturalistic approach to the streets of Tokyo, where a man named Jay (Duris) works as a driver for a private car service while searching for the daughter his ex wife stopped him from seeing nine years prior. As a French immigrant, Romain’s protagonist...

Taken quickly became one of the biggest hits in the recent years of Liam Neeson's career, and the thrilling drama about a father attempting to save the life of his daughter is finding new life on Hulu. Many audience members are taking some time to experience this engaging story once again, almost a decade after the final installment of the franchise made its way to the big screen. And it all began with that first movie directed by Pierre Morel.

Neeson's dive into action with Taken sparked a successful path in the genre, paving the way for The Grey's chilling intensity. The Grey stands out as Neeson's peak action film, boasting critical acclaim and intense survival sequences. Compared to Taken, The Grey offers a bone-chilling fight for survival that solidifies Neeson's action star status.

Liam Neeson's best action film since 2008's Taken will soon be leaving streaming. The Ireland-born actor fosters an illustrious career dating back to the late 70s and has not only performed but excelled in films of various genres, i.e., the 1993 historical epic Schindler's List, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination and the 2004 biographical romance Kinsey that drew him a Golden Globe nomination. In 2008, Neeson unexpectedly took a chance at a genre with a bit more grit by starring in the cast of Pierre Morel's action thriller Taken and shone there, too.

Liam Neesons action blockbuster Taken could have been another inconsequential throwback to action movies of the 1980s, but instead the film completely changed the actors career path. Neeson had been mostly known for his role in dramas such as Schindlers List, the comedy Love, Actually, and, of course, his venture into the Star Wars universe as Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace, but Taken changed all that overnight. After being available to rent or buy on various platforms, the movie has now found a streaming home on Max.

Taken stars Neeson as Bryan Mills, a former CIA agent whose daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers, leading him to make an often parodied speech to her captors, and embark on a brutal mission to save her. The movie, directed by Pierre Morel, combined its emotional father/daughter story with plenty of action sequences that appealed to audiences on a huge scale.